Sunday Storylines: Visitors Keep Out (of the End Zone)

Carolina defeated Idaho 66-0 on a soggy Saturday to move to 3-2 on the 2012 season.

•Putting up 66 points on anybody is certainly impressive, regardless of the quality of the opponent. But allowing zero is just as remarkable. With Saturday's result, the Tar Heels have outscored opponents 165-6 in Kenan Stadium and have not allowed a touchdown at home. With a 45-point lead at halftime, Fedora challenged the team to start fresh in the second stanza and finish strong. That may be the takeaway from Saturday: that the Tar Heels were dominant in victory while getting reps for an astonishing 71 players.

"You learn how to finish," Tre Boston said. "We haven't let anybody score in the Tar Pit yet, and we're trying to make that established with the younger guys, and they held it down while we were out and you have to have younger guys who play just like the older guys, and now that we have them getting experience, later on in this season when we do need them, they already have played."

The UNC Marketing Department must love Boston seizing on the branding of the student section. Boston said a commitment to the core principles instilled by Fedora has led to the defensive success in Kenan. "Honestly, it's just playing smart, fast and physical, how we're supposed to play," he said. "We had a couple of road losses that we weren't too fond of, and when we came back to the Tar Pit, we knew that this is our house, and we have to protect it, and we haven't let anybody score, so with that it gives us a great amount of pride and it makes sure that when it's halftime and we're up 40-something, we didn't really care. It's 0-0 next half, and we can't let them score."

•Carolina has not given up a touchdown since the second quarter of the loss at Louisville. That's 120 minutes and 46 seconds of game time with zero touchdowns and nine points (on three field goals) allowed. Fedora said the Tar Heels were playing with a high energy level and getting to the football, missing fewer tackles and growing in to the defensive scheme. "When you've got a lot of guys running to the football, good things usually happen," he said.

•Quinshad Davis led the way for the Tar Heel receivers, with four catches for 89 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown toss from Bryn Renner in the first quarter. Davis later scored on a pass from Marquise Williams. Despite missing part of training camp until he was medically cleared, Davis has come in and stepped forward as perhaps the next great Tar Heel receiver. “I feel like I can go in there and make plays as much as anybody else,” he said.

•According to Fedora, the coaching staff did not go into the Idaho game with the express intent of keeping the play calling 'vanilla' ahead of the matchup with Virginia Tech, but it worked out that way. Renner said that the playbook has gotten refined in recent weeks. "We’re kind of getting good at things that we’re good at, and leaving stuff that we’re not behind," he said. " Every game plan is different, and we’re going ot prepare differently for Virginia Tech and watch them on tape and kind of get a good feel, but definitely we're just trying to get better at the things we’re good at."

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